Every Step
by They Call Me The Merchant
Summary: Valkyrie is starting to get uncomfotable around Skulduggery. And It's not just because he's a living skeleton. Valkyrie/Skulduggery pairing . A side of Ghastly/Tanith and lots of Fletcher being jealous. Please R&R!
1. The Car

_**My first submitted Fanfiction. I've written lots before, but this will be the first one i've submitted.**_

_**Also,**_

_**This will be a really quick one. I was bored and this is more or less practice for my bigger fan-fictions that are currently in progress. This is a cutesy one so don't go thinking it's going to be hard-core, full on romance or anything. Skulduggery is dead. There's not much I can do other then cutesy romance stuff.**_

_**Anyway, enjoy!**_

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Valkyrie Cain sat in the Bentley silently. The traffic was heavy and they had gotten caught in it. The seats of the car were nice and warm, which Valkyrie appreciated immensely. Skulduggery's car was always nice and warm whenever she got in.

Skulduggery Pleasant was sitting right there in the driver's seat, the scarf covering the bottom half of his skull, his dark sunglasses doing the rest. He could have used the façade China gave him, but he thought he would skip using it in public until he made sure it was working. Last time he had used it the skin had begun to sag a bit too much. It made him look 80 instead of 30 like he was supposed to. It had made Valkyrie laugh. But that look of him sitting in the driver's seat was comforting and it made her smile. It was just like old times, but more stuck in traffic.

The young elemental's gaze was fixed on a small bug-like car across from the Bentley. The painter must have been color blind because the shade of yellow-y-pea-green was so blindingly hideous it made Valkyrie's eyes burn.

Skulduggery tapped the steering wheel with his fingers impatiently. The silence was beginning to annoy him. He looks over at Valkyrie through his dark glasses and stares for a moment before speaking. "So… What are you staring at?"

Valkyrie looks back over at the skeleton. "That ugly car. It's just so…. Ugly." She motioned to the ugly pea-green-yellow car with her hand.

"Oh my…. That is ugly." Skulduggery says, his voice barely masking that hint of disgust. "I wonder what they were thinking when they bought it."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Well great minds do think alike… or at least people with a sense of style." He looks back at the road as the cars ahead slowly begin to move forward. The Bentley inches forward also, Skulduggery making sure he wasn't too close to the car ahead of him.

She shrugs a little and stares at him for a while. Feeling the eyes on him, Skulduggery turns and stares back. He spoke softly. "Is something wrong, Valkyrie? You're not smiling at my joke. Meaning something _must_ be wrong."

"Your detective skills exceed my expectations. But, no nothing is wrong. I'm just tired or something…" Her voice was a little bitter. Valkyrie really had lost a lot of sleep that night. The nightmares of Darquesse had kept her up for most of the night. That and the necromancer prophecy…

"Or something? At least make up your mind as to why you're mad at me." He says in a slightly mocking tone.

"I'm not mad at you! I'm just… irritable today. I was up all night." Her tone was bitter.

"Up all night? That hasn't bothered you before. What's different about this time?" The skeleton was interested now.

"N… Nothing! Nothing is different!"

"My superior detective-ing skills are telling me that you're lying. Does it have something to do with Darquesse?" His tone was normal again, as well as soft. He knew this subject was delicate. The car was edging forward once again, coming closer to the intersection where they could escape from the jam.

Valkyrie fell silent and she looks down at her lap. "…Yeah." She couldn't lie to Skulduggery. It made her uneasy. Besides, he could always tell when she was lying anyway.

Skulduggery nods slowly and looks back through the windshield. "Ah." The Bentley was coming closer and closer to the intersection and Skulduggery was becoming irritated that they had been stuck this long.

A quick nod back and Valkyrie looks back out the window. The ugly car was still sitting there; its driver had long shaggy hair and a short, square cropped beard. He looked like a hippie.

After a few moments of silence, the Bentley is finally free from traffic. A sharp right turn and the detective and his partner were speeding down the street. That is until Skulduggery pulls over into an empty parking lot. The car stops and the detective turns all the way around to face Valkyrie.

"Valkyrie… The future is never set. We can change it. I know you're worried and you have every reason to be. But I'll be right here every step of the way to make sure we change that future. Darquesse will be stopped. We've stopped her before, and we'll do it again. Alright?"

She turns to face him too. Tears had begun to gather in her eyes, which startled her. She never cried - never in front of Skulduggery. She had always been afraid that he would see it as weakness. Now he would laugh at her or tell her she's weak or… or… A tear streams down her cheek.

Skulduggery was taken a-back. Valkyrie Cain was crying. It baffled him and he didn't really know what to do. Handling emotional people was absolutely no problem for Skulduggery, but this was _Valkyrie_, She never cried. He didn't know whether to give her space or comfort her. He remembered when they first met, that twelve year old girl sitting in the passenger seat, smiling at him and asking so many questions. Now she was sixteen. She had grown so fast Skulduggery hadn't even noticed. Her dark hair was longer and she had begun to wear make-up, which was now running with her tear, making it look black. He hesitates for only a moment, then reaches across and wipes the tear off her cheek with his white gloved thumb, his hand resting on her cheek. "Alright?"

She hicks once and nods, speaking a little hoarsely. "A-alright." She raises a hand to put it over Skulduggery's, holding it there so he wouldn't pull it away. "…Every step, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery leans over and puts his forehead against hers. "Every. Single. Step. I promise you Valkyrie Cain."


	2. Ghastly's Shop

_**VALDUGGERY (Valkyrie/Skulduggery)**_

_**This is the second chapter of my Skulduggery series. The first chapter was originally meant to be a single piece, but I thought it would be awesome to add a second part. More will be coming soon!**_

_**~Ven**_

Edit: FINALLY fixed all the tenses. Much easier to read now.  
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Skulduggery Pleasant sat quietly in the hard wooden chair, legs crossed, in his black suit with a red tie, as Ghastly Bespoke continued on about his new position as an elder. It was odd having one of his closest friends being one of the single people in the country to hold such a powerful political position… Although most of the past elders were killed, but it most likely won't happen to Ghastly.

"-And I get to make my own outfit. No uniforms, but there are parameters I need to follow. Nothing I cannot handle of course. They will look very handsome I think…" Ghastly was talking to Valkyrie, but Skulduggery enjoyed listening to their conversations. They always broke out into friendly debates. It was also nice seeing Ghastly up and around. Ever since Tanith was… well ever since the Remnants, Ghastly has been pretty depressed. He was good at hiding it from all the workers at the sanctuary, but it was harder to hide from his friends. Valkyrie knew also and avoided all conversation about _her_.

Fletcher was a different story. Being the moron he is, he kept bringing up Tanith on accident and then he started apologizing to Ghastly, only making it worse. Skulduggery would have gotten rid of him a long time ago, if not for Valkyrie's affections for him. He didn't understand how she could stand him, much less _date_ him. Fletcher sat in the corner, more reading a sports magazine not listening to anybody, just immersed in a rugby article. Teenagers. What can you do?

"I'm sure you'll look fantastic - distinguished and absolutely handsome. " Valkyrie said with a smile. She knew she was right. Ghastly was one of the best tailors around, and his outfit will so fantastic, kings od old would have been jealous.

"The clothes will be handsome, yes. But this face is far from handsome, Valkyrie. But I appreciate the compliment. You're sweet." He smiled a little and crossed his muscular arms over his muscular torso.

She smiled more. "Why thank-you. Now if only Skulduggery could realize that. He thinks I'm trouble."

Skulduggery tilted his head a little and adjusted his tie with his right, gloved hand. "Trouble, hmmm? Definitely. You're the bane of my existence. But you're probably my favorite bane so far."

Valkyrie grinned at him, but it didn't reach her ears. She had been like this ever since that time in the car a week ago. A few days after the incident had happened, she and Skulduggery had been running from some villain or another and they had come to a wall. Valkyrie was busy throwing shadows, so Skulduggery had taken the liberty to wrap an arm around her waist and fly her over the wall with a blast of air. After they had landed, Valkyrie's cheeks were slightly pink. He had dismissed it as simply color from the small blast of wind, but recently he'd been doubting it was just with wind that had caused it.

Similar cases like the wall had occurred that week. She would blush a little sometimes when he touched her in any way, sometimes he would catch her staring at him. And he knew it wasn't just because he was a living skeleton.

"I'm so very glad, Skulduggery." She said with a small chuckle, and then turned back to Ghastly.

Across the room, Fletcher Renn was listening to the conversation and glancing up every few minutes. He had buried his face in the sports magazine and pretended like he wasn't paying attention, which he was very good at thanks to school and he parents. He hated the detective sometimes. It always seemed like he was trying to steal Valkyrie from him. Skulduggery was a complete jerk to him, and he treated Valkyrie like his personal angel. It made Fletcher furious. Not that it showed on his face. He would never let anybody know he was jealous of the skeleton's relationship with Valkyrie. Valkyrie was _his girlfriend _after all, nobody else's. Or so he silently hoped.

"You're _glad_ you're the bane of my existence? How did your parents raise you?" Skulduggery leaned back in his chair and cocked his head.

"They raised me quite well, for your information. I just enjoy being the one thing that annoys you." Valkyrie said over her shoulder.

"Oh no, lots of things annoy me. Like mimes and clowns. And Fletcher. Fletcher is pretty bad." Skulduggery said simply and nods in Fletcher's direction.

The teleporter just grunted his displeasure and continues to stare at the magazine. He had learned to just brush off the insults. It was difficult, but he did it most of the time. Once he had tried to hit Skulduggery out of anger, but ended up getting a sprained wrist instead. It took two weeks to heal, all those days in which Valkyrie pretty much ignored him.

Valkyrie chuckled a bit. "Of course. My mistake."

Ghastly also chuckled, a small smile on his face. "Oh, you two. You'll be the death of one another."

The detective nodded. "You think we don't know that? I think we've both known it since we met. Too much alike, we are. Well, accept I exceed all measures of style and grace."

A genuine smile played on Valkyrie's lips. "Oh, of course Skulduggery. We wouldn't dare forget."

"Very good." He cocked his head to the side and if he had lips, he would have been smiling back at her.

This whole scene sickened Fletcher. Was the detective flirting? …Well it seemed to be working if he was. Fletcher frowned at the thought. No. Valkyrie would never go for a skeleton. The notion was too ridiculous. _Way _too ridiculous…. And stupid.

An obnoxious, shrill tune fills the air and Skulduggery pulls a phone out of his pocket. "Skulduggery Pleasant speaking." A few muffled words came from the speaker in the phone. "Oh? Very well then. I'm on my way. Good-bye." He clicked the end button and looked up at Valkyrie. "Time to go. Business to attend to as usual."

Valkyrie nodded and stood. "Let's go then. We don't want to keep them waiting."

The detective stood as well, putting on his hat. "Of course not. Lead the way, Valkyrie." He motioned gracefully for her to lead the way with a bony, gloved hand and followed her lead to the door.

Valkyrie Cain waved goodbye, smiling happily.

Skulduggery Pleasant tipped his hat and shut the door behind him.


	3. The New Sanctuary

They were in the car again.

Valkyrie Cain sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window, counting all the red cars since Skulduggery was being quite again. He kept doing that – being quite when they were in the car. It was kind of un-nerving since he usually enjoyed talking.

Skulduggery Pleasant had his hands on the steering wheel, his eye sockets staring straight ahead. He glanced over at Valkyrie. She was still staring out at the window. What in the world could she be staring at that was so interesting? His head swivels back to look out the windshield.

The detective and his partner were driving through Roarhaven. The battered buildings seemed to be crowding in on the small streets as the Bentley drove past. Few people walked on the oil stained sidewalks, and who did looked homeless or like they were trying to sell Illegal drugs. The Bentley swerved into a driveway and Skulduggery parked it in a weakly marked parking spot. He got out and waited for Valkyrie to join him. The young elemental hopped out off the car and walked over to him, shooting him a small smile.

The both of them walked over to the building together.

The building was a bit shabby, but it was all the Irish had for a back-up sanctuary. It was dimly lit and it needed a good dusting. A person or two walked past the detective and Valkyrie every couple of minutes. They were scurrying along quickly, not even glancing at them. Well maybe a couple weird looks got shot Skulduggery's way, but that was normal.

Valkyrie didn't make eye contact with any of them. She didn't find any of them interesting enough with their neutral color clothes, and nervous aura. All of them were so similar to the point they all looked the same as far as Valkyrie could tell.

But Skulduggery knew who they all were of course. He took prompt note of all the strange looks and would remember them for the next time he spoke to those people. The looks on their faces when he told them he remembered them staring would be priceless.

After walking down the dimly lit hall, Skulduggery walked up to a door and pulled it open. Sitting at a desk in the middle of the room was Erskine Ravel, scribbling away at a piece of paper on the desk. His pen was flying a mile a minute until he heard the click of the door and his head snapped up. "Skulduggery, Valkyrie! Glad you could make it!" He smiled and stood, walking around the desk. He shook Skulduggery's hand and offered Valkyrie a hug, which she promptly declined.

"A pleasure as always, Erskine. Now what can we do for our new Grand Mage?" Skulduggery said smoothly, his empty sockets not leaving his friend.

Erskine tried to look serious, but he was still smiling. "Well I need you two to go catch a bad guy. He killed a sorcerer in Dublin and has been running amuck in the city since. Harassing the mortal police as well. He just needs to be rounded up, and you two seemed perfect for the job seeing as all my other choices are tangled up in something else at the moment."

"Good to know we're on the top of your list then, hmm?" The detective says sarcastically. "But we'll get right on it."

"Very good. Have fun Skulduggery, Valkyrie." His smile widened as he dismissed them with a wave.

The detective snorted and tipped his hat. "Good day, Erskine. Come on Valkyrie, were off to run errands."

"That sounds like work.", Valkyrie said sourly.

"You think everything sounds like work.", Skulduggery retorted.

"Because it usually ends up being work with you."

"What? You don't think I would just take you out to have some fun?"

"Yep."

"Hardly fair."

"Life isn't always fair, Skulduggery."

The detective grumbled and opened the door once more, holding it open for Valkyrie. She smiled smugly and walked out the door, waving to Erskine as she did. He waved back and Skulduggery walked out behind her. If he had still had eyes, he would have rolled them. The door shut with a solid thud.


End file.
